The Azores are an archipelago of Portuguese islands situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km from Lisbon and about 3,900 km from the east coast of North America.

The nine Azorean Islands extend for more than 600 km, and are guided in the northwest - Southeastern direction. The vast extension of the islands defines an immense exclusive economical zone (EEZ) of 1,1 million squared kilometers. The point more western point of this area, places it 2100 miles of the North American continent.

Even if Portugal is a unitary nation, the Azorean Islands are granted with a autonomous region. Sometimes visitors confuse the islands to be a Portuguese dependency or a country, which is seen as offensive by the locals.

The archipelago is spread out in the area of the parallel that passes through Lisbon (39Â°, 43'/39Â°, 55' North Latitude), giving it a moderate climate, with mild annual oscillation. The nine islands are divided into three groups:

* The Eastern Group (Grupo Oriental) of Sao Miguel, Santa Maria and Formigas Islets* The Central Group (Grupo Central) of Terceira, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial* The Western Group (Grupo Ocidental) of Flores and Corvo.

The volcanic origin of all the islands is revealed by their volcanic cones and craters. Pico, a volcano that stands 2,351 metres high on the island of the same name, has the highest altitude in the Azores.